Above and Beyond-My First Movie..Need Comments!

[ProdigyFilmsinc.]

Hey,
I'm sort of new at this whole thing but this winter I am going to try and film my first big movie. It takes place in WWII, in the Battle of the Bulge. The basic story line is as follows:

5 soldiers are on a normal patrol when they come across a German Radio outpost. They make a plan to take it over, when they do they find out that it is the sole relay point of all the German Army movements. They decide to hold it and pretend to be German and continue relaying all the info, but also to relay it back to Allied HQ. During the raid, they captured 2 prisoners. They escape and start running for the nearest German HQ the ycan find. One of them gets shot right after escaping and the other keeps going. 3 of the 5 soldiers go after him, because if he tells that they took over the outpost then they will stop sending the info to them and the Allies will be abck in the4 dark. They chase him for a couple of days and when they get to him he's with a bunch of other soldiers. They shoot him before he can tell them what happened, but there is a big fight. Some of them die, but that's a surprise.

OK, none of this is a true story. The only thing true about it is the BAttle of the Bulge, and that's only background story. That was a very brief explanation of my idea. Please post your reveiws and don't hold back. Thanks.

[Kentertainment]

A WWII movie as a first is going to be hard to pull off. You'd better have accurate costumes and superb effects. You wouldn't happen to be filming this at the park near where you live, huh!

I know this person if you're wondering.

[maj_barnes]

I think Ken's sig pretty much says what you'll be saying during pre-production.

[UnkindSky]

Yea... belive you me!! It takes alot of money and skill for this... both of which i do not have lol

[ProdigyFilmsinc.]

Yeah well I have a few conections with a friend who has costumes. They aren't 100% accurate but they look pretty good. Money is an issue. I have none. So I am going mega cheap. I have a question though, is it better to try and do most of your effects while filming or CG! For example in Kenny's movie "Code of Dissolution" HE has the bullet hitting the wall. I don't know how he did it but would it be better to actually film it or do it digitally?

[Kentertainment]

Is this friend Gyro? Anywho, stay away from CGI...amateur film CGI = cr**. I basically had an airsoft gun filled with powder just an inch off screen. I guess I'm trying to say is, always have digital effects as a last resort.

[Gyro]

Yeah, no dice on the digital stuff... especially in a war movie. I'll help you come up with anything on set as possible. Shovels, sticks, squibs, whatever... anything but overlaying detonationfilm explosions... please!

[ProdigyFilmsinc.]

Ok, yeah i tried a test where i blew up a bridge and just overlayed an explosin onto it... YEah it was total Crud so I'm staying away from that.

[maj_barnes]

You can make stock explosions look good, you just have to set the shots up right, and add in a physical element to it.

At school we were messing around, and I had an explosion go off in front of someone (the camera behind the actor, explosion in front: semi blocked). The camera was on a tripod so we did have to worry about rearranging the explosion.Then we had someone with a bucket of dirt, and we dug a little indent in the ground (impact crater). So the shot starts off with the explosion going off the person off camera throws the dirt at the actors face as he is blown back. Of course since the crater was already there, the shot starts out with the explosion. We added motion blur for when the grenade went off to seem like the camera was affected by it.

But this right here takes some work just for one explosion. But it's better than just having off screen explosions and fountains of dirt.

[tallman_house_pictures]

Random comment:

You'll have to get a beautiful german helmet like mine:

[ProdigyFilmsinc.]

Gyro has a German helmet we're using. For my Explosions I had the idea to just set up a Fire Extinguisher and shoot that off with some dirt and other earth elements. You can have it go off on the actor without hurting them so. I don't know. i'm shooting a test this weekend.

[maj_barnes]

The fire extinguisher thing works pretty good, I don't really use it because fire extingishers are expensive.

I should post my helmet, you guys would laugh at it (outisde black, inside white: I haven't painted the inside yet).

[ProdigyFilmsinc.]

Yeah they are but I have 4 just laying around my house and my Dad told me to get rid of them so I am...

[ProdigyFilmsinc.]

OK, I finished the script and am currently rounding up actors. We plan on filming Dec. 26-31. I will post up a trailer for the movie around Jan. 5. If anyone wants to read my script just tell me and I'll post it or Email it to you.

[Gyro]

Did you revise the script with my suggestions, Kevin?

[SpyroClone]

Is this friend Gyro? Anywho, stay away from CGI...amateur film CGI = cr**. I basically had an airsoft gun filled with powder just an inch off screen. I guess I'm trying to say is, always have digital effects as a last resort.

agreed, i am definetly against amateur digital effects

[Lawriejaffa]

lol well er... any 'amatuer' effects can look cr**, be them real or digital?!?

tis irrelevant says I, so long as you have a good narrative, then if the effects are 'mediocre' (and not utter cr**) then people will 'want' to believe it, because they 'want' to absorb the story they are already hopefully enjoying...

Imagine the days when there were just books and we had to 'make up the pictures we see' well, a good film can have the same effect even with limited resources... take blair witch, (i didnt like it) but many did... same can apply to some cr** sci fi (blue screen) movies i saw recently from HK, the effects sorry were cr**, but the fighting and the 'vision' of the stories made it all ok.

So really, u usa kids get a bit obsessed with fire crackers and cherry bombs (while others might use 1 muzzle flash image, placed all wrong for every gun from photoshop) so really i don't see either being officially better!?!

[buck_suck]

Haha true. I see nothing wrong with DetonationFilms CGIs...But maybe thats cuz' I have no choice. In some parts of the world (Such as where I live), explosives, real blanks, guns, and other cool stuff is totally illegal by law. Hell, even airsoft is illegal! My friend got busted once and is awaiting trial now. Thats how dangerous it is. So yeah. Sometimes, dont blame people who use CGI as lazy, incompetent or 'ameteur' - Often its out of desperation.

[ProdigyFilmsinc.]

Did you revise the script with my suggestions, Kevin?

Yes Sean... I used all of your suggestions and you were right it did make it sound better. I now just need someone to play the main lead...About using CGI...For this movie I am trying to stay away from it as much as possible. I think it will help out my actors more to have it all there whuile they are acting.